IN the vast, opulent, glittering room of Alhambra Palace, Queen Isabel of Spain listens impassively to the voice of Sanchez. Other Grandees, representatives of the church and state are also present.

Christopher Columbus is brought in chains before the queen. He looks devastated, with his face covered in dried mud.

Sanchez: "He promised us gold but has failed to find it. He subjects the natives to violence, provocation and injustice. He sent them to Spain against the express wishes of Your Majesty..."

Columbus is back in Spain after his second voyage to the new world and facing charges of breach of contract, made up by jealous rivals.

Sanchez (continuing): "... but there is worse. He ordered the execution of five members of the nobility..."

Isabel: "Then, what do you suggest, Don Sanchez?"

Sanchez: "He must be executed." The orders are given and Columbus is sent to the jail, where several horsemen arrive to meet him. One of them who is in black clothes, removes his hat and steps inside the cell. We recognize him as Alonso de Bobadilla, whom Columbus once humiliated. One of the other men gives him a roll of parchment, bearing the royal seal, and he unrolls it in the face of Columbus.

Bobadilla: "My letters of appointment." Columbus: "Appointment to what?" Bobadilla: "Viceroy of the West Indies." Columbus: "Congratulations. Then, I am free to search for the mainland."

Bobadilla (smiling wickedly): "Didn't you learn? The mainland was discovered. Weeks ago… by another Italian… Amerigo Vespucci… it's no more than a week at sea. Disappointed? Well, you'll be in a different paradise altogether tomorrow."

At the gallows, Columbus is pale. Like Lucifer and Gabriel, Bobadilla and SANCHEZ stand on either side of Isabel.

Sanchez: "Christopher Columbus, who lost the riches of Spain at sea…" Columbus: Riches don't make a man rich, they only make him busier." Sanchez: "… for which, Spain executes you…"

Isabel (cutting in): "However, he may choose the manner of his execution." Columbus: "In Benares (he didn't know it was Hanoi of present-day Vietnam), in the reign of Emperor Fo Hi, there was a temple with a dome that marks the centre of the world, beneath which priests moved golden discs between three diamond needles. God placed 64 gold discs, in decreasing order of their diameters, on one needle at the creation. It was said when priests had completed their task, the needles, the temple and Brahmins would crumble into dust and, with a thunder, the universe would end. Bring such a stack of disks arranged from largest on the bottom to smallest on top placed on a rod, together with two empty rods, then, move the stack from one rod to another, where moves are allowed only if they place smaller discs on top of larger discs. Execute me when the task is over." Sanchez and the other Grandees: "We accept." What is the minimum number of moves for completing the task? How long did it take before Columbus was executed? Write at Mind Games, Windows, The Tribune, or adityarishi99@yahoo.co.in.

— Aditya Rishi